Court Rejects Chevron Refinery Expansion Appeal

A California appeals court has rejected Chevron Corp.'s effort to overturn a judge's ruling that blocked the oil giant from expanding its Richmond refinery without further environmental review. The San Francisco-based First District Court of Appeal said Monday that the judge properly interpreted state environmental regulations when she ruled last summer that Chevron's report on the expansion's potential health and safety effects was incomplete. The court says that among the issues Chevron must address before the project can proceed is whether the expanded facility will process heavy crude oil, which generates more pollution than lighter crude. The revised report must also detail how the company plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the refinery.